Detroit Land Bank Authority

It’s no secret that Detroit has a lot of vacant land and unoccupied buildings; after all, its population today is less than half of what it was in 1950. Figuring out what to do what those properties (and how to best serve neighborhoods) is the job of the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Executive Director Kevin Simowski (A.B. ’79) leads a team that auctions homes, sells vacant land, and demolishes blighted properties in order to support Detroit’s renaissance.